184 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



self of the valuable services of Mr. King in the preparation 

 of illustrations to accompany his papers on the lichens and 

 other vegetable organisms. Some of the illustrations on 

 these subjects are deposited in the library of the Institute. 



To show the increased use of the microscope, it might 

 be stated that at a social meeting of the> Institute held on 

 Tuesday, May 1, 1866, its object being to bring together 

 all the microscopes that could be easily obtained for the 

 purpose of interesting the friends of the Institute in this 

 department of science, and also to celebrate in an appro- 

 priate manner the festival of May-day, Mr. C. M. Tracy, 

 of Lynn, spoke of the wild flowers before him, the pre- 

 cursors of a bloom that is to open onus in the garden, 

 the woodland and the wayside ; Prof. O. W. Holmes, of 

 Boston, gave a brief sketch of the history of microscopy 

 and the later improvements in the structure of the micro- 

 scope. There were on exhibition, thirty instruments in 

 all, comprising twenty-five different styles of manufacture. 



Mr. King was a member of the School Committee in 

 1854-58 (when the City Council elected the School 

 Board). He did good service, frequently visiting the 

 schools and familiarizing himself with all details and show- 

 ing a great interest in educational matters. He was for 

 several years a trustee of the Salem Athenaeum and was 

 an efficient member of the committee on the library. 



He was a person of much intelligence, well posted in 

 current events, in the history of our own times, and to 

 some extent in general literature ; and, though much re- 

 tired from general society, was fond of social intercourse 

 and conversation among old friends. He was per- 

 haps wore interested in scientific than in purely literary 

 subjects, being a constant lover of science in general, but 

 his attainments in the broad field of philological study, to 

 which he was much devoted at different periods of his 



V 



